Tag Archive | "thin hair causes"

Women consider thinning hair and hair loss a threat when it comes to dealing with such unavoidable circumstances. Thinning hair and hair loss maybe one of the most frustrating conditions that a woman has to face, unless you are going for the “Sinead O’Connor” or “G.I. Jane” look, hair loss and thinning hair conditions are definitely not a happy thought. Hair conditions such as these are a reflection of the present state of a woman’s general over all health. It is a proven indicator that something is not right and medical diagnosis must be sought out at the soonest possible time.

A good comparison would be that of a healthy tree that has suddenly started to wither and has begun to shed it’s leaves. Much as the same in regards to women’s hair loss that may indicate a possibility of any underlying medical conditions that maybe related to thinning hair and hair loss. Most general conditions related to accelerated hair loss come in light of a woman’s menopause and post-menopause stages. It is directly proportional to the steady decline in a woman’s body to produce the needed estrogens that produce an imbalance of hormones. This will lead to the rising levels of the male hormones testosterones,

The rise of testosterone levels give way to accelerated facial hair growth while triggering hair loss on the crown of the head. This is similarly compared to male pattern baldness but due to the fact that both men and women share a common hereditary genetic base, it is more common in men than in women. Other causes of thinning hair and hair loss would be that of dietary reasons. In a recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO), it was noted that women who live in third world countries have a higher incident of suffering from hair loss and thinning hair compared to women in more developed countries. The results of these studies pointed out nutrition as one of the key factors that contributed to women’s health in regards to hair loss.

Diseases also plays a big part in determining a concise evaluation as to the causes of hair loss in women. Medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in which results in a rise in androgens, which causes hair loss and hair thinning on the head, unexplained weight gain and cessation of the reproductive organs. The growth of polyps in the ovary may even indicate signs of ovarian cancer at it’s early stages. The over all evaluation of medical practitioners and women’s health specialists have concluded that nutrition is the basis of all causes of health problems, let alone women’s hair loss and hair thinning.

Doctors have advised a balanced way of nutrition that adapts to the present stressful way of how women go about their routines in a daily basis. Stress triggered hair loss can be minimized to the extent of good nutritional supplements such as fruits and ample amounts of exercise to relieve tension caused by work or personal problems. Of course, keeping up a positive disposition in life helps a great deal as well. Supplementary vitamins such as Vitamins A, B complex, D, E and iron can greatly counter act loss of energy that leads to stress related fatigue. Vitamin C (Citric Acid) is also an essential immune system booster that thwarts off vulnerability to diseases.

It is undoubtedly one of the most significant features in a woman’s body…her hair. Vanity aside, in a males point of view, a woman’s hair is indeed the essence of her femininity. Much is written about the beauty in a woman’s hair that it traverses the boundary of fiction and truth. No wonder that women spend almost half of the time making sure that their precious tresses live up to their famed expectations. It is so obvious that a woman values the way that her hair looks, just as important as how other people would react to it.

Unfortunately, there is the stark reality of hair thinning and hair loss that most women find unacceptable to contradict. Since hair loss is predominantly exclusive to males, it is also, in rare cases, a problem to some women as well. Hair thinning and hair loss in women is caused by hereditary genetics like that in males, but, unlike male pattern baldness, women’s thinning hair loss is more of a chromosome paternal origin rather than hereditary. This means that a woman who has evident manifestation of hair loss has more male chromosomes than female chromosomes.

Chromosomes are different from hereditary genetics, as a majority of people would put one and one as the same. Genetics is more of a carbon copy of gender and physiology while chromosomes are more reared as gender derivatives, meaning, a woman would have more male chromosomes than female chromosomes. A simple example to justify a point is some women have more male chromosomes than other women which would explain why some women have more facial hair than others.

Another simple explanation might deviate from the subject at hand, but would clearly explain a simple point nonetheless. At the time of our conception, human beings have both male and female chromosomes that are called chromosome “X”and “Y”. Since the female specie is the most predominant of all human species, for reasons of propagation. This unique biological state in which human existence permeates, is the reason why there are more females than males (10 females as to 1 male).

For women that have inherited a majority of male chromosomes, this is a reason in why they suffer such conditions. Secondary causes would that be of genetics, such as pregnancy, menopause and chemical imbalance. Stress however is not a predominant cause of women’s hair loss and thinning unlike that of men. However, dietary deficiency does hold a big part in the cause of hair thinning and hair loss for women. Clinical studies have determined that on the onset of menopause and andropause, for both men and women alike, each manifest a common condition that marks the end of the hormonal function of the pituitary glands.

The pituitary gland regulate the proper function of the hormones which control such bodily functions such as the reproductive organs, the libido and hair growth. It was clinically proven, that men who undergo the andropause cycle, lead to the decrease of testosterone levels, experience the cessation of bodily hair growth, not to mention, hair growth in the head. Which explains the case of hair loss directly proportional to aging. In the case of women that undergo menopause, the reduction of progesterones lead to the accelerated growth of facial hairs.

Genetics would be one uncontrollable cause of hair loss in women, given the fact that it is a natural state. However, there is also the reason of dietary deficiency to consider. About a hundred years ago, women’s hair loss was an unheard issue. It was only in the last 60 years or so that the issue was first looked upon. Environmental and dietary reasons are some of the few evident causes for this reason, not to mention a rapidly changing way of living. Nowadays, even food has undergone a radical way of production that you can not help but wonder if we are really getting the needed sustenance that our body direly needs.

Synthetic chemicals could also be one of the major reasons why most women suffer hair thinning and hair loss. Environmental pollutants can also be pointed out among the various reasons besides chemical inorganic substances that are used to manufacture our products. This explains the resurgence of natural organic health supplements that aide to counter act the deteriorating effect of inorganic chemicals that we use on a daily basis.

The nightmare scenario for many men is the onset of hair loss. The well-follicled among us may scoff at the banality of stressing over the shedding of a few strands of hair, but hair loss is a real problem for people who are experiencing it.

If we think about it, much of our self-image is tied up in the way that we look, and for many of us, hair is an important part of our appearance. There’s no shortage of bald jokes (I’ve never understood the humor in them) even though a large segment of the population has had to deal with losing their hair – both men and women!

Some Numbers on Hair Loss

Statistics place the number of affected Americans at 56 million (35 million men and 21 million women), with 40% of men experiencing some sort of hair loss by the age of 35.

Male pattern baldness can begin before turning 21

Men can lose 50% of their hair before it gets noticed

Normal average daily hair loss is 100 hairs per day, so persons experiencing appearance changing hair loss lose their hair at a much higher rate

30% of women experience some degree of hair thinning in their lifetime

Causes of Hair Loss

Hereditary factors are the most common causes of hair loss. This is what is known as male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness for women. Hormonal changes due to pregnancy and menopause can also cause hair loss, although these losses are temporary.

Medical conditions can result is hair loss. People who have experienced problems with their thyroid, scalp infections, and other skin disorders can experience hair loss as a consequence.

Certain medications have side effects that contribute to hair loss. These include: prescribed cancer treatments, high blood pressure medications, and medications that address heart problems, arthritis, and depression.

Our emotions and our behaviors can also result in hair loss. A 2011 study revealed that the stress of divorce, heavy drinking, smoking, and exposure to the sun are all linked to hair loss. These factors were found to contribute more to hair loss in women, as many men in the study experienced their hair loss due to male pattern baldness.

Bad nutrition is often linked to temporary hair loss, so taking a holistic approach to the problem that promotes general good health can yield positive results.

Remedies to Hair Loss

When there’s a big problem or concern, there are many people who work tirelessly to find a solution, and then there are the hucksters. In this case, they tout home remedies for hair restoration that many medical professionals dismiss as being ineffective and expensive. Some “natural” products may be effective in prolonging the stay of hair that you have, but they won’t help new hair grow.

Promoting positive lifestyle choices is another type of “natural” attempt to stem hair loss. Incorporating these choices into your everyday life will have a better effect than any home remedy product. These lifestyle choices include: better nutrition, efforts to reduce stress, seeking medical advice and checking for vitamin deficiencies in your diet, and ensuring that your shampoo is not overly abrasive. These choices could help to sustain the hair that you have and help you to lose hair at a slower rate.

Non-surgical hair restoration medication can be effective. There are many brands available, but the top three medications make up 56% of hair restoration remedies that are prescribed: Propecia, Rogain Foam, and Minoxidil.

The last resort for some is hair restoration surgery. Statistics from 2010 show that over 100,000 people chose this option in the United States and nearly 280,000 people worldwide underwent this surgery.

The condition predominant in men known as male pattern baldness or Alopecia, is signified with the progression of a receding hairline accompanied by the thinning and shortening of the hair follicles which results in finner hair strands. A receding hair line that is oftentimes distinguished by an “M” shape is a clear sign of it’s early manifestation. It usually begins at the brim of the hairline that consequently progresses to a classical horseshoe pattern, running from the sides to the back of the head.

Causes of male pattern baldness can come from various origins such as heredity, psychological stress or such inorganic causes such as medicinal side effects due to prescription medications. Male pattern baldness has a few methods of treatment that can help stave off the progression of the condition as only to slow it down. Treatments such as vitamins and minerals, dietary supplements and topical hair shampoos can help in a big way to deter any advancing effect.

The effect of male pattern baldness can often times get the best out of men and in the event that it does progress to it’s advanced stages, you can always find other solutions to augment the obvious loss of hair . These alternative solutions include hairstyles that can cover up baldness to wigs and hair implants.

Optional Hairstyles for Male Pattern Baldness

The best Hairstyle to Use

Medium Short Hairstyles – This is a good option to go with if you have a receding hairline with thick hair. Having your hairstylist cut the top part of your hair short and leaving an ample amount of hair at the sides long enough so that you can comb it to the top side. This method can cover up the part in which there is a significant amount of hair loss, thus creating an effect of thickness on that area.

Shaggy Layers – Having a receding hairline at the top can make it difficult to cover up that area if you want to sport a long hair style at the back part of your head. Shaggy layers are made by keeping subsequent strands longer in a alternating pattern. This hairstyle is achieved by keeping a good amount of hair a bit lengthy and trimmed with layers. And allowed to settle down on top of the head with a bit of a messy look.

Julius Caesar Look – This hairstyle was made famous by the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. This look is simply done with brushing the remaining hair strands downward to the front most part of the receding hairline. It creates a visible border on the receding hairline that effectively hides the obvious signs of baldness.

Short Hair – Similar to most alternative hairstyles for men, this method employs the need to grow the remaining top part of the hair quite a bit longer than usual. The goal here is to have the bottom part of the hair cut short while retaining longer strands at the upper most part. Covering up the top part with the use of hair gel, hair wax and other hair setting products.

Buzz Cut – This hairstyle incorporates the “military” hair cut that requires the use of a clipper, thus earning it’s term the “buzz” cut. A very simple and easy to maintain look that does not fade out of style.

Shaved Look or The Chrome dome – If there are no other alternative choices for your male pattern baldness, and if you have the guts to take your hair loss problems head long, you can always go for the Shaved Look or the Chrome Dome. This look was made famous by legendary celebrities such as Yule Brynner, Telly Savalas and Bruce Willis. It is considered as one of the most manly and intimidating approaches to male pattern baldness, but it is more fitting for those who create an almost perfect cranial head structure. It is not recommended for men with oddly shaped heads.

Facial Hair – Nothing can divert attention from your receding hairline like that of facial hair, the thicker it is, the better. Most men with male pattern baldness that have more adequate facial hair con sider this their second asset. Goatees and a full turf of facial hair can add masculinity that can redirect anyones attention from your baldness.

Hair Transplant Surgery – This would be considered as the most extreme of all options faced by men with hair loss problems. Besides being expensive, it is also time consuming as it requires a multitude of clinical sessions to get the most optimum effect that you want. By far, hair transplant surgery is perhaps the most effective method in countering thinning hair loss problems for both men and women. The satisfaction rating for this in most cases is 100% for those who have undergone the procedure. The disadvantage of it is that you are limited by the hair styles that you can make with it considering that it is a permanent fixture that requires extraction of hair from the backside of your head for implantation to the affected area. The procedure can take from as short as weeks to almost months, depending on your specific needs.

Dealing with thinning hair

About the author

I am 53 years old and live in Miami. I have two kids, one boy and one girl with my wife Linda. My son Jon is now 19 years old and in College. My daughter Jennifer is 14 and still in High-School. We also have a dog. When I don’t work in the marketing department of a health company, I like to spend time outdoors with my family and friends. I don’t do as much sport as I should but my family and me go on a skiing vacation at least once a year.